There is known in the art a communication terminal device such as a mobile phone that is capable of executing an application program for implementing various applications such as games, schedules and the like. A user of this type of communication terminal device is thereby able to download and use desired application programs from a content provider connected to the Internet.
A Content Provider providing this type of application program (hereafter referred to as a “CP”) also provides new application programs to upgrade previously provided application programs so as to correct deficiencies or provide new functions, and the like, relative to the pre-existing program. In the following description, an application program that performs correction of deficiencies, addition of new functions and the like will be referred to as “a new application program”, while a previously provided application program will be referred to as “a pre-existing application program”. When a user using a pre-existing application program wants to use a new application program, it is necessary to download this new application program, and overwrite the preexisting application program stored in the communication terminal device with the new application program. In the following description, downloading a new application program and overwriting the pre-existing application program with the new application program is referred to as “upgrading”.
However, downloading and upgrading application programs is inconvenient for users every time a new application program is provided, because each users needs to inquire a CP regularly whether a new application program is provided for that not all users may be aware of when a new application program is provided.
There are known in the art different techniques for overcoming the problem described above. One is disclosed, for example, in Japanese patent laid-open No. 2001-53882. By the technique of the above patent when a new application program is provided for a communication terminal device, the preexisting program in the device is automatically overwritten from the CP side to provide an updated application program in the device.
However, a problem exists with this technique at both the user and CP side in that applications that are no longer in use at the user side may nonetheless be automatically overwritten and updated from the CP side. This results in an unnecessary increase in load on the CP server, which increases proportionate to a number of application programs, required to be updated, stored in communication terminal devices.
To overcome the problem stated above, one solution is for the CP to request a user whether they wish to receive a particular upgrade. However, this solution results in inconvenience to the users since s/he is required to repeatedly respond to such inquiries, regardless of whether a program to be upgraded is actually used by the user.